


The Brothers Too

by WildClover27 (PrairieFlower)



Category: Garrison's Gorillas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:14:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22011670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrairieFlower/pseuds/WildClover27
Summary: There are Garrisons coming out of the woodwork it appears. The cons get to meet more of the Warden's family.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Non-canon characters are mine and not for use in other people's stories.

Goniff thunked into the dining room on the wooden crutches, casted foot held up behind him. Terry, setting the table, absently pulled his chair out for him. The Englishman plopped himself in the chair, leaning his crutches back against the sideboard.

“Thanks, Love,” he said in a dull voice.

Terry stepped around behind him and rubbed the top of his blond thatched head. She would be glad when that bloody cast came off next week. For a broken ankle, it was the bulkiest and heaviest thing she had ever seen. She could have put one on better than that and had in another lifetime. Heck, she was sure Actor could have done a much better job, and she had never seen him put one on before. The thing had been weighing the quicksilver second-story man down for five weeks now. It had not only weighed the slight man down physically, but mentally also. A depressed Goniff was a sight she did not want to see repeated. She had pretty much run out of ways to cheer the guy up.

Goniff watched her move around the table. Maybe it was his imagination, but Terry seemed to move with more grace than she had when she had first arrived at the mansion. And she was starting to wear skirts and sweaters. Actor’s teaching was having a definite effect on the woman. It weren’t a bad change, thought Goniff, but at least the bleedin’ arrogant man weren’t able to change her personality.

He tried to move the casted leg into a more comfortable position and clunked it against the pedestal leg of the table. Blimey, it would be a relief to get that thing off in a week. It was going to be a long week. He couldn’t wait to be able to get around on his own two feet again. The only drawback was he would be able to go on missions again. That meant no more time in the mansion during missions alone with Terry. She weren’t no different with him than she always was, but it was nice not to have to share her with the other blokes. She had even driven him down to the Doves a couple times and had a pint with him.

Terry started bringing out the platters and bowls of food. She made sure to set the platter of pork chops in front of the Englishman. She swore he would be happy if she made pork chops every day of the week. She was rewarded with a bright smile which she returned.

“Come on, guys,” she called. “It’s on the table.”

The others came into the dining room and took their seats. There were exclamations of “pork chops!” You’d think she couldn’t make anything else decently. But if it made them happy, that was okay. She almost had to laugh at the habitual seating arrangement. It had not been planned but had just seemed to fall into place. Craig was at the head of the table, Actor at the foot, the two ‘leaders’ facing each other. Casino and Goniff were on one side of the table, Casino closest to Garrison. Chief and Terry were on the other side. From the first meal together, Actor had seated her beside him. It had just stayed that way. Terry reflected how the faces had changed, but the ritual of the evening meal was little different from the one she had grown up with. Granted the conversation was more about heists and missions than cattle and horses.

They were partway through the meal when a knock sounded at the door. Craig and Terry exchanged looks as did the rest of the men. Nobody knocked at the door. Terry shrugged and got up to answer it.

“Do we want to buy encyclopedias?” she joked.

Terry opened the door and looked into the top of a chest. Following it up into blue/brown hazel eyes beneath a thatch of straw blond hair, she exchanged shocked stares with the young man on the doorstep. With a shriek, she threw her arms around the man’s neck and was lifted off her feet to be engulfed in a hard hug. She was held tightly as she clung to him, her tears running freely into his neck.

The uncharacteristic scream from Terry brought Garrison and the men to their feet and into the foyer. Craig looked at the six-foot-tall blond in shock. His vision blurred as he strode forward and threw an arm around both of them. Terry was openly crying now. The cons watched silently. The three rocked together. Terry made an effort to control herself. She was let back down on her feet, but an arm stayed clutched around her. The young man’s other arm moved around Garrison’s back and they hugged tighter.

Casino eyed the younger version of the Lieutenant. “Great,” he growled in a low voice, “another Garrison.”

“So, it would appear,” Actor murmured softly.

Kelly Garrison looked down at his sister and asked, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Forget that,” said Terry. “How did you get out?” She rubbed at her cheeks with both hands and stepped back to look up at him. A light touch to her arm alerted her as a clean white handkerchief was tucked in her hand. She wiped her face and dabbed at her nose with it.

With his usual cocky grin, Kelly said, “I guess you could say I went out with the dirty laundry.

“How did you get here from Russia?” asked Craig. He kept a hand on the near shoulder that was almost at the same height as his.

Kelly shrugged, “Walked, stole a Kraut uniform and a motorcycle, hopped a couple trains, got to France and finally hooked up with the Maquis.” He sniffed the air, “Do I smell Terry’s pork chops?”

“Yeah,” said Craig. “Come on in and we’ll get you a plate.” He stopped to introduce everyone. “This is my brother, Kelly. Kell, these are my men.” He pointed them out. “Casino, Goniff, Chief and Actor.”

Kelly took a longer look at Chief. “Sioux?”

“Apache,” Chief replied.

“You speak it?” asked Kelly with interest.

The other men were silent. Chief was so defensive about his heritage they were afraid of what he might do.

“Yeah,” answered the Indian.

“We only speak Lakota and Blackfoot. Sorry.”

“He’s teaching me,” said Terry.

“Great!” grinned Kelly. “He meet Monty yet? Where is Mon anyway?”

“Monty hasn’t been out here yet,” said Craig. “He’s stationed outside of London.”

They went back to the table. Terry put Kelly at her place. “Finish it up and I’ll get you some more.”

Kelly dove in like he hadn’t eaten in a year. Craig eyed him worriedly. Under the loose clothes, he figured there was a tall lanky frame covered in skin and no meat.

“We gotta get you back home and let Ma and Cinder fatten you up some,” remarked Craig.

Kelly’s hand paused with fork in midair. “Don’t start, Brother, or I’m out that door. You ain’t sendin’ me anywhere.”

“Kelly, you’re underage.”

Terry came to the doorway. “Craig, let him eat. Then we’ll discuss it.”

“There’s nothing to discuss. He’s going home.”

Kelly put his fork down and pushed his chair back.

Terry’s eyes flashed. She spat a word out in Sioux at her older brother. Both Garrisons and the rest of the men looked at her. Terry turned and went back into the kitchen.

Kelly’s eyebrows shot up. “Damn, she bites now.” He looked at Craig. “You must have really pissed her off in New York.”

“Drop it,” warned Craig. “Finish eating.”

Kelly pulled back into the table and picked the fork back up. “Where’s Chris?”

Craig shook his head. “I can’t keep track of her.”

“She’s still over here though?” said Kelly between bites.

“Yeah, I couldn’t talk any sense into her either.” Craig sounded disgusted.

“Gee,” grinned the younger brother, “She’s underage too.”

Terry’s voice carried from the kitchen. “Kelly, don’t bait him. He doesn’t have a sense of humor anymore.” She came out of the kitchen and set another plate of food in front of Kelly. “Crystal’s in France with Dirk and Tinker.”

“OSS or Maquis?”

“Maquis, whatever else she can get into. No OSS.”

“Good,” said Kelly adamantly. “If I ever run into Donovan, he’s gonna get an earful.”

“If I ever run into Donovan again it isn’t his ear that’s going to get it,” said Terry adamantly. She went to take the spare chair from beside the wall and set it between Kelly and Actor at the corner of the table.

Kelly eyed her apparel and frowned. “Did I interrupt something?”

“No,’ said Craig, “Why?”

“What are you all dressed up for?” the younger man asked his sister.

Terry’s face turned the faintest shade pinker. Actor noted her distress and smoothly stated, “This is Europe. She is merely becoming more acclimated to her surroundings.”

Kelly stopped in mid-chew and stared at the aristocratic Italian accented man. Slowly his eyes roved around the other men at the table. An Italian, a Cockney, a New Yorker who could have fit in with the mob, and an Apache, none of which were in any kind of uniform. He turned his eyes to Craig. “What kind of an outfit are you running, Brother?”

“Special forces,” said Craig vaguely. He cut another bite of meat and popped it in his mouth.

Kelly glanced around at the men again. They were watching him too.

Casino grinned, “We’re cons, Baby. We work for the army.”

Garrison closed his eyes and shook his head. When he looked back up, Kelly was staring at him. He shrugged. “That’s it in a nutshell.”

Kelly looked at his sister narrowly. “So, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, I’m chief cook and bottle washer, nurse . . . “

“Wheelman,” put in Goniff brightly.

“Confidence woman,” added Actor with amusement.

Kelly took another bite of potato, not at all surprised. “Damn war. I missed out on Italy.”

“You were never going to Italy,” said Terry sourly. “You’re bad enough as it is without Zia’s influence.” 

She caught Casino’s eye and pointed at the basket of rolls in front of him. He grinned at her and picked out one, cutting it in two and buttering both sides. He put the two sides firmly together and threw it at her. She caught it deftly and shook her head at him. Overgrown kid. Actor and Garrison both gave him a look of disapproval. Terry went back to watching her younger brother.

Craig looked at his kid brother with curiosity. “How did you find us?”

“Easy,” replied Kelly between bites. “I came up through Folkestone. Brandonshire’s on the way to London. I knew Kit was at the Fox. I figured she’d know where you were.”

“Kit knew you were here and didn’t call us?” demanded Terry taking a bite of bread.

“I told her not to,” said Kelly. “I was gonna surprise Craig, but dang, Sis, you surprised me! How did you get here? Thought you were in Washington.”

“It’s a long story,” said his sister, not inclined to get into that at this point.

“She got sent here to spy on us,” remarked Casino.

Terry gave him a dirty look. “I am not spying on you, Casino. I don’t have to. All I have to do is look at you and see the trouble you’re in.”

“She’s got you there, Mate,” laughed Goniff.

“You oughta talk, Limey,” shot back Casino. “You get us in more trouble with those sticky fingers of yours.”

The English voice took on a wounded tone, “I can’t ‘elp it if things just pop up in me ‘ands.”

That brought chuckles from the others at the table. Actor, seeing that she was not going to get much more to eat than a roll, cut up the remainder of his pork chop and held his fork out to her. Terry glanced at him in surprise and gave a quick smile, accepting it. She popped at piece in her mouth and turned back to her younger brother.

Kelly looked at his sister with curiosity. “So how long have you been here?”

“I got here about the time you ended up in the prison camp,” she replied.

“And you go in with them?” he asked in disbelief.

“On occasion,” admitted Terry.

Kelly just shook his head. He was beginning to wonder about his family. Craig was normal, kind of. He knew he and Chris were doing things they shouldn’t be doing. Now Terry was going on missions with a bunch of crooks. Well, the family always had been a little strange.

The others had finished eating, but no one seemed to be in a hurry to leave the table. It had become unusually quiet as the cons watched the three Garrisons. Actor got up and retrieved a bottle of brandy and some glasses. He poured some into two glasses before handing the bottle to Goniff. Taking his seat again, the Italian passed a glass to Teresa. She accepted it with a smile and touched hers to his. They both sipped. The glasses and bottle made the rounds of the table, finally stopping at Chief.

“Where’s mine?” asked Kelly.

“You can have yours in six and a half years,” said Craig.

“You’re joking?” said Kelly in disbelief.

“No,” said Craig firmly. 

“Fine,” said Kelly unhappily. “So, can I at least have a cigarette? I’ve only had one in the last three months.” He eyed his older brother narrowly. “And you can’t say anything about that. You started smoking when you were eleven. I just want one.”

“When did you start smoking?” asked Terry.

“When I got to France,” replied the younger brother. “They have good cigarettes. Better than that anemic stuff you smoke.”

Terry and Craig exchanged looks. This was not the little boy they had both left on the ranch. Terry shrugged. Craig reluctantly picked up his pack of Chesterfields.

“Got anything that ain’t American?” asked Kelly, pushing the point.

Craig paused. Actor sent him a questioning look. After a second, Garrison nodded. Actor pulled his pack of Gauloises and lighter from his jacket pocket and passed them to the boy. Kelly took one out and lit it before handing them back.

“Thanks,” said Kelly.

The Italian took them back with a nod and placed them back in his pocket. From the other pocket he pulled out his pipe and tobacco and started to fill the bowl.

Goniff had been sitting watching the action at the table, fidgeting a bit. He saw the tension in the Warden and Terry. It made him worried about a major argument with the brother they had just gotten back.

“So ‘ow’d you end up in a prison camp in Russia?” the Englishman asked.

“Somebody gave us up,” said Kelly. He took a drag on the cigarette and started the story. “I went into Yugoslavia with money and supplies for one of the partisan cells. Made contact and went to one of the caves they were holed up in. Krauts knew. They were all over us.”

“How come they didn’t just shoot you for a spy?” asked Chief in his quiet voice.

Kelly shook his head. “I think they figured I was an American, they could use me later on for a bargaining chip. I don’t know.”

Actor spoke next. “Were they aware you are the son of an American general?”

“I don’t think so,” said Kelly. “They never said anything, and I figured it was none of their damn business who my father is.”

“So how did you get out?” asked Craig.

“I watched. There were a couple tunnel attempts. They failed every time. I didn’t plan on going out that way. I studied the routines. The laundry for all the camps was done at one camp. The truck came at the same time on the same day, every Tuesday. One Tuesday, there was a snowstorm, wind blowin’ like an Alberta Clipper.” That got a grin of understanding from Craig and Terry. “So, I snuck out. You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. I got to the truck and got in and under a pile of dirty sheets. The Krauts are methodical. They couldn’t see, but they left anyway. I waited until we were a couple miles down the road and jumped out. They never saw me.”

“Yeah?” said Casino derisively. “And how come you didn’t freeze to death?”

Kelly eyed him narrowly. “All of us Garrisons know winter survival. We have to where we live.”

“Sure,” continued Casino. “I can see your sister lastin’ all uh three seconds in a blizzard.”

“She’d last a lot longer than that, Ferretface,” said Kelly defensively.

“Kelly!” barked Garrison angrily.

Terry backhanded the younger brother on the arm. “You watch your mouth! You were brought up better than that.”

“That’s all right, Terr,” said Casino with a smug grin. “He’s still just a little boy. One what was hatched under a rock.”

“That rock gets around,” muttered a very quiet Italian voice.

Terry kicked Actor lightly on the leg under the table. Smothering a grin, she shot a look at him with twinkling eyes. He gazed back at her with his own smug look.

“Okay,” said Craig, seriously, “conference, my office, now.” The three Garrisons pushed back their chairs. Casino and Goniff pushed theirs back too. “Not you,” said Garrison. Casino shrugged and pulled back to the table.

The four men sat quietly at the table as the Garrisons walked away. They waited until they heard the door close to the Lieutenant’s office.

“That one’s a ruddy handful,” remarked Goniff.

“You can say that again,” said Casino.

“He has put himself in a position in which he has had to grow up much too soon,” added Actor, contemplating his own teen years.

Chief looked at Actor, “You think he really got himself out of that camp and back here?”

The Italian nodded. “Most likely. If nothing else, the Garrisons seem to be resourceful.”

Goniff reached for another roll. “Think ‘e’ll stay ‘ere with us?” he asked of no one in particular.

“Naw,” said Chief. “He’ll go back with Chris. He ain’t gonna want to take on the Warden and Terry together for too long.”

“I give him two days tops and he’ll have flown,” predicted Casino.

Goniff grinned, “That a bet, Mate?”

“Nope,” replied the safecracker, “too much of a sure thing.”


	2. The Brothers Too

“You ain’t sending me anywhere.” It was said in a calm, forceful voice.

“And what makes you think we won’t?” asked Craig angrily.

“You haven’t been able to send Chris back,” Kelly threw at him.

“Chris has six years on you,” said Garrison. “That is a big difference.”

“What is it?” asked Terry. “You think this is fun?”

“Fun?” Kelly’s narrowed eyes turned to his sister, “No, I don’t think this is fun.” He walked up to lean on his hands on Craig’s desk, facing his brother and sister. “Fun? You ever been to Warsaw, Brother?”

Craig eyed him narrowly and shook his head.

“I have. You seen the concentration camps on the Eastern Front?”

Craig just watched him. Terry’s eyes moved back and forth between the two.

“I have. This isn’t fun. This is beyond disgusting. It’s not acceptable. Those bastards need to be stopped. That’s what we’re fighting for. I’m in it and I’m staying in it. With or without your blessing, Brother.”

Terry tipped her head back, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It hadn’t been that long ago she had said almost the same thing. Craig ran his hand through his hair and moved over to lean on his outstretched arm against the tall filing cabinet behind his desk. He had to admit there were younger children than his brother carrying guns and fighting on both sides. He just wished it wasn’t Kelly. The boy had already been in a prison camp and almost been killed. 

“I have to let Dad know you’re back,” said Craig quietly.

“Yeah, I know,” acknowledged the younger blond. “But I promise you one thing, Craig. I will not let you do to me what you did to Terry and Chris in New York.”

“Kelly, don’t go there,” warned Terry. “That is not your affair.”

“It is my affair,” countered Kelly. “It’s what got Chris and me over here in the first place.”

“What got Chris over here was Nick Bradford!” fired back Craig. “You just couldn’t stay out of it!”

“Doesn’t matter,” said Kelly shaking his head. “We got here and we got involved in this and we’re staying. Nick’s dead. That ain’t what’s keeping Chris here. Or me.”

Terry got up from her seat on the corner of the desk and walked around to stand shoulder to shoulder facing her older brother. She spoke in a whisper.

“I don’t like it any more than you do. But you know he’ll just come back. He got over here, knowing nothing and with only a little bit of help. He got himself out of that camp without help. If you even did get him back to the ranch, he’d be right back over here.”

“Damn,” whispered Craig back, shaking his head. “I know you’re right. How do we tell that to Dad?”

“We don’t,” said Terry. “You call Dad and tell him Kelly’s out. Then you keep the pressure on him that he’s going back. He’ll scarper. And I guarantee he knows every one of Crystal’s hidey holes in London. He’ll go to ground.”

“We’re letting him get himself killed,” argued Craig.

Terry raised her hands in a gesture of defeat. “The odds of any of us making it through this war are slim to none. The work you’re doing here is more dangerous than what you were doing in North Africa. Even if I never went in with you again, I could just as easily get killed in a bombing raid while I’m tending bar at the Fox. The way the air force is losing planes, Monty’s on his tenth life already. And who knows what Chris is doing on the continent.”

Craig turned his head to look at her. “Oh, that’s optimistic, Sister.”

“No, it’s realistic.” Terry snorted. “We lost an uncle and three cousins on Dad’s side in the Great War. I don’t know how many of Ma’s kin we lost. This isn’t looking to be any better.”

Craig sighed. “Okay.”

The two turned back to the waiting younger brother. Kelly eyed them warily. Terry stood back and let Craig do the talking.

“I’ll call Dad in Washington in the morning. For now, at the top of the stairs go straight. The second room on the left is the spare.” It was delivered with no emotion.

“Got any clothes I can borrow?” asked Kelly. “These can walk by themselves.”

Terry stepped around and looked at him. He was tall and skinny. “Maybe a pair of Chief’s pants and one of Goniff’s shirts?” she suggested to Garrison.

He nodded agreement.

“I’ll ask them,” said Terry. “Come on, Brat,” said young woman wearily and ushered her kid brother out the door.

Craig waited until the door to his office had closed behind them, before sinking into his chair. He rested his elbows on the desk and held his head in his hands. He felt ineffective and hated that feeling. He barely had control over his men, very little over Terry, none it seemed over Chris, and now this. Some officer, he couldn’t even keep his own family in line. Forcing himself to pull it together, Craig reached for his files and opened them. He tried to concentrate on the papers.

About a quarter of an hour later, there was a quiet knock at his door.

“Enter,” said Craig without his usual vigor.

The door opened and closed behind Actor. The con man walked up to the desk without a word and held out a brandy snifter with two fingers of liquor in it. Craig accepted it with a nod.

“My private stock,” said Actor. “I thought you could use it.”

“Thanks.” Craig wished he could talk to the older man about it but knew he couldn’t.

Almost as if Actor were reading his mind, the Italian said, “You are not their father. You cannot expect them to follow your wishes if they do not want to. And as strong as the members of your family seem to be, I doubt your father will have any better luck with them.” With that, Actor turned and walked out, closing the door softly behind him.

The next morning, Terry was standing at the stove frying up rashers of bacon. Kelly sat straddling a chair, watching his older sister who had become much less familiar to him. She was back dressed in the pants, shirt and boots he was used to. She seemed older. He guessed war did that to a person. He knew it had him.

The swinging door opened, and the tall Italian man walked in. He smiled and said, “Good morning, Kelly.”

“’Morning,” returned the boy with a wary look.

“Actor,” said Terry.

“Good morning, Teresa.” There was a bit more warmth to this greeting. Kelly watched the almost possessive hand that came to rest on the back of his sister’s waist. She didn’t pull away.

Actor sniffed, “Is that real coffee?”

“Yes,” replied Terry. “Chris got some from her supplier for us.” 

She turned away from him and reached for a cup behind her on the table. Picking up the coffeepot using a potholder, she filled the cup for him.

“We must thank Christine,” he said.

He took a sip and gave an exaggerated sigh of enjoyment.

“You’re overacting again,” teased Terry.

He gave an unconcerned shrug. “May I have my eggs scrambled this morning, cara?” he asked.

Terry thought about it. “That means another pan. It’s going to cost you, caro.”

The corner of his mouth turned up and he bent his head. Kelly watched with widening eyes as his sister tilted her head up and back to exchange a kiss on the mouth with the man. She paused with a grin on her face.

“Okay, scrambled,” she smiled.

Actor contemplated her for a second and moved back in for a longer kiss. Terry eyed him suspiciously. 

“What was that for?” she asked.

He gave a full grin now. “Omelet?”

“Oh, get out of here, Actor!” She backhanded him in the stomach with a solid thunk.

The grin on her face told him he would get his omelet. As he retreated from the kitchen, he heard her mutter, “Uomini.” Well at least she knew a man when she was presented with one.

Kelly frowned behind Terry’s back. He needed to talk to big brother about this one. Okay, she catered to the blond on the crutches, that was Terry. The Indian helped her with dishes. She traded barbs with the tough guy from New York. But what was going on with her and the Italian?

“You got coffee for Craig?” he asked nonchalantly.

“Yeah,” said Terry, reaching for another cup. “You want to take it to him? He should be in his office.”

Kelly accepted the cup and carried it into his brother’s office, shutting the door behind him. Garrison was working on papers as usual. He looked up with a smile at his kid brother, unable to help being glad the boy was alive and safe, for the moment. 

“That real coffee I smell?” he asked.

“Yeah, Terr said Chris got it,” replied Kelly.

Craig took the cup of coffee and enjoyed a sip. The puzzled look on the young man’s face had him curious.

“Okay, Brat, what’s bugging you?” asked Garrison.

“Terry.”  
Craig chuckled. “You must be growing up if she’s starting to bother you now.”

“I’m serious, Craig,” objected Kelly. “What’s she doin’ with that old guy? I mean, I know she probably likes Italians, but jeez, he’s so much older than her.”

“What did he do?” Craig leaned back in his seat to drink his coffee.

“He kissed her . . . twice . . . in the kitchen!”

“What did he get out of it?”

“An omelet.”

Craig laughed. “He got off easy this time. Last time he asked her to make him an omelet, she made him clear off and set the dining room table.” It had amazed Garrison, at the time, the con man had done it.

“But he kissed her,” persisted Kelly. “And she kissed him back.”

“Yeah, they do that. A lot,” said Craig, picking up some papers to get back to work.

“Huh?” asked the youngest Garrison.

“He’s just keeping her in form. She’s his mistress.” Craig replied off handedly as he searched the pile on his desk for the paper he was missing.

“What?” Kelly’s voice cracked up an octave.

Craig looked up at the stricken look on his brother’s face and chuckled. “It’s a game. I’m still getting used to it. Actor picked up where Zia left off. He’s teaching her the con. When we go in on some of the missions, they work together at parties. He’s an officer and she’s his wife, girlfriend, mistress, whatever works at the time. They really are very good together.”

“And you trust this guy?”

“Hell no,” grinned Craig. He became more serious. “I do trust him up to a point. And he’s getting better. I rely on him quite a bit. He’s more knowledgeable about things on the continent. He’s taken over the lead a couple times when I’ve been wounded.”

Kelly was still unsure. “So, Terry’s working special forces with them?” he jerked his head toward the other room.

“Yes.” Craig shrugged. “I won’t tell her this, but she really is getting the hang of it. She’s been in twice with the group without me.”

“You aren’t afraid they’ll do something to her?”

Craig shook his head. “To tell you truth, she’s probably safer with them than with anybody else.”

“You call Dad yet?”

Craig nodded. “I started the call. It’ll probably be a couple hours before I get a call back. Your sister done cooking breakfast?”

“She was finishing the bacon when I left.”

“Good, let’s go eat.”

The men were seated around the table. Terry was busy setting their plates in front of them with their desired style of eggs, when the phone rang. She shot a glance at Craig. He shook his head. It was too soon for a call from Washington. Terry went around to the common room and answered the phone.

“Mansion, maid speaking,” she said facetiously.

“Things not going well over there?” asked Christine’s voice humorously.

“Where are you?” demanded Terry.

“London,” replied Chris in surprise at her sister’s abrupt change in demeanor.

“Get yourself on the next train and call me from the station when you get here. I’ll come get you.”

“Something happen to Craig?” asked the younger girl fearfully.

“No nothing like that,” assured Terry. “A package arrived for you yesterday.”

“A package? For me?”

“Yeah,” continued Terry. “A big package. Kind of long and skinny. Postmarked Russia.”

“Kelly?” asked Chris in disbelief.

“Yup.”

“I’m on the next train.”

Terry laughed as the phone was hung up in her ear. She was still chuckling when she went back to the dining room. At Craig’s questioning look, she said, “Chris is on her way.”

Terry sat down at the table and ate her own breakfast. She ran an eye around the table. Seven people, two eggs each, was fourteen eggs as one setting. She would have to switch to powdered pretty soon. 

“Craig, any objections if I get chickens come spring? I’m going to put in a victory garden too. It’s not like there isn’t room.”

“Chickens?” asked Actor dubiously.

“Sure,” piped up Casino. “My ma’s got chickens in her backyard in Chicago.”

Terry eyed him speculatively. “Could you build a coop?”

“I can probably fix up the one that’s out there,” he nodded.

Craig and Terry both looked at the safecracker. “There’s a coop out there?” asked Terry.

“Yeah,” he answered. “Behind the gazebo. It’s covered with the vines from the wall. I might be able to do something with it.”

Terry rubbed her hands together with a grin. “Oh yeah, that’s what I like. Self-sufficient.”

“There’s a pressure canner down in the basement,” said Craig, sopping up egg yolk with his toast.

“Jars?”

“A couple crates with jars.”

Kelly shook his head. “It’s not even Christmas and she’s planning a garden already.”

“Yeah,” said Terry smugly, “and there’s more than a two-month growing season here too.” 

They finished their breakfasts and Terry got up from the table. “I’m going into Brandonshire and do some shopping and then I’ll wait at the station for Chris to come in.” She smiled at her kid brother. “Seeing as I cooked, you can wash the dishes.”

“I’d rather go with you and pick up Chris,” he said brightly.

“Oh, no.” Terry had anticipated that one. “You are waiting for a phone call from Dad. You aren’t getting out of it that easily. Besides, I know how good you are at hopping trains.”

Kelly grinned. “Hey, I wanted to go to Great Falls and nobody would take me. Got there, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did,” answered Craig. “And you were all of twelve at the time. I imagine you’re a little better at it by now. You’re not going anywhere near that train station.”

“You think you’re grown up enough to stay here, then you deal with the General,” said Terry. She smiled insincerely at her older brother. “He’s all yours.”

“Thanks.”


	3. The Brothers Too

Terry sat on the wooden bench bordering the wall in the train station in Brandonshire. She looked around at the people going about their daily business seemingly as though there wasn’t a war on. She had to hand it to the British. They got the crap bombed out of them and they just got right back up, dusted themselves off and kept on going. She leaned back against the stone wall and listened to the undulating cadence of voices. When she had first arrived in England, it had sounded so foreign. Now it sounded normal. And living with Goniff’s broad Cockney accent and vernacular had Terry beginning to pick up the bloody slang.

Her mind wandered to the purchases in the trunk of the Packard. With two more mouths to feed, including Chris into the mix, Terry had stopped at the farm where she usually got her eggs. She had managed to wheedle two more dozen from the man, but it was winter and the hens were off their laying. She would have to start rationing eggs at the house. Thank goodness for Actor. Under his tutelage, she now had a very comfortable amount of money she could use to purchase things on the black market. Granted the army provided some supplies, but the men would have wasted away to nothing by now if they had to subsist on rations alone. Especially Goniff who had a never-ending hunger and could pack it away like he had a hollow leg. 

Terry knew she had a tendency to spoil them all. Goniff had to have his biscuits; cookies to her. Casino was a meat and potatoes kind of guy. Chief never let on what his preferences were, just eating whatever was put in front of him. And then, she stealthily fed Actor’s sweet tooth that he did not want the others to know about. Craig didn’t much care as long as she used some of their mother’s recipes once in awhile. 

Thinking about one brother brought her thoughts to the other one. She had managed to find some clothing that should fit that overgrown brat kid brother of hers. She wondered if it was too late to get in on the bet for how long Kelly would stay at the Mansion. There had to be a bet. Then again, maybe not. Craig said the betting had gone down on anything to do with the Garrisons. Maybe her family was too predictable. No, that couldn’t be it. The cons really didn’t know her family well yet. They had just met Kelly and she was trying to get used to the changes in him herself. Christine wasn’t around enough to feel completely at ease with the men yet, but Chris was pretty much – well, Chris. And Craig had changed quite a bit too. All the cons saw was the West Pointer who had to remain in control of them. They did not know the wild, practical joking boy he had been until the Point got hold of him. Actor probably came closest to seeing the real Craig. Terry had watched them both. The two men had that same gleam in their eyes over a good con, and they recognized it in each other.

The train pulled up to the platform and discharged its passengers. Terry stood up and scanned the small crowd until she spotted her sister. Standing on tiptoes and waving an arm wildly, she caught the younger woman’s attention. Christine hurried over to Terry, looking around.

“He with you?” she asked.

“No,” replied Terry, starting to walk out to the car. “I was afraid he would ‘do a runner’, as Goniff would say.”

“Why?” asked Chris, removing her coat as it was getting unseasonably warm for an early November day.

“Craig wants to send him back to the ranch.”

Chris chuckled cynically, “Good luck. I’ve tried already. I couldn’t get him to go home when we got to New York. I thought once he found out what things were like over here, I’d be able to persuade him to go back.” She shook her head. “It’s just not going to happen.”

“Didn’t figure you had any luck,” said Terry, “or you wouldn’t have taken him out of the States to begin with.”

They got into the Packard and Terry waited for the other cars to clear out a little, warming the big engine up.

“I never asked,” said Chris. “I assume he isn’t hurt, or you would have said something.”

“No, he’s just underfed.”

“How’s he taking to the guys?” asked the younger girl with a grin.

Terry shook her head. “Craig got a laugh out of Kell’s reaction this morning. I didn’t think about it and let Actor kiss me in front of him. Craig said Kelly was a bit – uh - concerned.”

Chris started laughing.

“Oh, it gets better,” continued Terry. “Brother Dear told him I was Actor’s mistress.”

Her sister chortled on that one but stopped abruptly and shot the older girl an apprehensive look. “He was joking, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah. At least I think so.”

Chris made a face. “He isn’t still accusing you of sleeping with Actor in London, is he?”

“Oh, sure he is,” said Terry. “I just hope he isn’t saying that to Actor. I’d die of embarrassment.”

“You know he probably is.”

“Well, Actor hasn’t said anything about it to me.” Terry wound her way through the village. “I guess it doesn’t help we kiss a lot.”

“Got over that one in a hurry, didn’t you?” teased Chris.

“You have to admit, he does do it well,” said Terry.

“Oh, I know,” agreed the younger sister. “I kissed him once, remember? Too bad he’s so old.”

“Not old, Sis,” smiled Terry. “Mature.”

Chris sputtered with laughter at that. “And just how much more ‘maturer’ than you is he?” 

Terry shrugged, “Fifteen years, if anything in that dossier on him is correct.”

“And . . . how old is Chief?” She tried to be nonchalant about it.

Her sister shot a glance at her with a small grin. “That’s a good question. According to the last prison he was in, he’s two years older than me. Craig and I don’t buy that. No way he’s older than me.” She lifted a shoulder. “A while back I mentioned I was older than him. He didn’t exactly agree, but he didn’t deny it either.”

GGGGG

The phone rang and Garrison picked it up. It was the expected call. Kelly watched his brother’s face warily from the couch in the office. He could only hear Craig’s side from there.

“Hello, Sir,” said Craig. “Just fine, Sir, and you? . . . No, Sir, it’s a family matter. Kelly arrived here yesterday . . . He’s fine . . . Apparently, he got himself out . . . Just a moment, Sir.”

Garrison held the phone out toward his younger brother. With a deep breath to steel himself, Kelly got up and took Craig’s seat and the phone. Garrison sat on the corner of his desk and watched.

“Hello, Dad,” said Kelly.

“Kelly Garrison!” boomed the General’s angry voice. “I am very glad to hear your voice, but I am tempted to come over there and tan your hide!”

“I think I’m a little big for that now,” said Kelly wryly.

“You’re fourteen years old! I will set up transportation and you will get your backside to the ranch and keep it there!”

“No, Sir,” said Kelly firmly.

There was a pause as the General reacted to having his youngest son refuse him. “What did you say?” he said slowly and deliberately.

“I said, no, Sir,” repeated the boy steadily. “I am not going back to the States or the ranch. I have been working with the resistance and will go back to working with the resistance.”

“I will have the OSS pull you out of there! I have already had a talk with Donovan about using underage civilians.”

“Chris and I don’t work for the OSS anymore. It was the OSS that landed me in a Russian POW camp. I met up with the Maquis in France on my way out. I’ll be working some with them from now on. I think Chris is already.”

“Are you out of your mind!” blasted the irate father.

“No, Sir, I know exactly what I’m doing.”

“I’ll have Craig hogtie you if necessary!”

“I already told Craig. I’m not letting him and you do to me what you did to Terry and Chris. And what about Terry? You sent her over here as a civilian to work with Craig. Going on missions could get her killed along with the rest of them. What’s good enough for one of your kids should be good enough for all of us. Sir.” Kelly’s tone bordered strongly on the disrespectful side.

“Terry’s involvement was supposed to be different and it’s none of your business,” said the General slowly. “She is also ten years older than you.”

“Oh, because she’s older it’s all right for her to get killed? Doesn’t matter.” Kelly cut the older man off before he could get his roar of objection out. “Bottom line is I’m staying. You fought your war, Sir. Now we’re going to fight ours. I don’t think we have anything more to talk about. Here’s Craig. Goodbye, Dad.”

Kelly got up and shoved the phone into Craig’s chest. Garrison was looking at the boy as though he didn’t know him, and truthfully, he didn’t. Slowly he took the phone in his hand and watched the younger boy stride out of the room. He half expected to hear the front door slam, but it didn’t.

Craig took his seat back. “Sir?”

“What the hell is going on with you kids?” asked the older Garrison in puzzlement.

“It’s like Kelly said. You have fought your war, now we are going to fight ours, in our own way. Terry’s with us so far. Chris, I don’t know. She pops up and she disappears and pops up and disappears. If she’s been wounded, I don’t know about it. Terry has.”

“Terry’s been wounded?”

“She took a bullet.”

“And I wasn’t notified?” demanded the General.

“Sir, it’s a hazard of what we do. One of my men took care of it. It wasn’t bad. She’s fine. If it’s something bad, I’ll notify you.”

There was silence on the other end. Craig waited, wondering just what was going through his father’s head right now. The voice that came back was quiet and resigned. “Try to talk some sense into him.”

“I’ve tried, Sir. Chris is on her way. I assume once he’s seen her, he’ll disappear.”

A sigh came over the line. “Try to keep tabs on him, Son.”

“I will try, Sir.”

“It’s late,” said the older Garrison. “I think I’ll go to bed now. Take care of yourself, and the other kids.”

“Yes, Sir,” said Craig. “Good night, Sir.”

The connection ended. Craig was surprised at his father giving up that easily. Maybe the fiasco with the girls in New York had taken some of the starch out of their old man.

Craig got up and walked to the door. The common room was silent. Kelly was standing in the middle of the room. The eyes that mirrored his seemed to belong to half man and half boy. They were quietly defiant.

Craig ran a hand through his blond hair. “You got more balls than brains, Kell.”

“Why?” asked Kelly. “Because I stood up to him? He’s never been there for us. He pops up once or twice a year and runs roughshod over all of us, then goes back to Washington. At least Terry and Chris had the guts to try to get out.”

Craig was acutely aware of his men sitting behind them listening. “Kelly, this is not the time or the place for this conversation.”

Kelly was aware of the men also. “Sorry, Brother.” He shrugged.

“Car comin’,” said Chief quietly. He watched the Packard pull up. “Terry and Chris.”

As soon as the car came to a stop, Chris was out the door and running up the steps. Terry remained behind and went to get the packages out of the back of the car. Chris burst through the front door, eyes immediately homing in on her younger brother. She burst into tears and threw herself in Kelly’s arms. The two hugged fiercely.

“Oh, thank God!” she sobbed into his chest.

“Hey, it’s all right, Sis,” he smiled into her hair. “They got me, and I was afraid they had gotten you too.”

Chris tried to pull herself together. She leaned back and looked up at him. “They probably would have if these guys hadn’t gotten me out.” She nodded her head toward the men behind them. “And they didn’t even know who I was.”

Kelly glanced at the men he thought of as crooks or gangsters. They had rescued his sister? “What happened?” he asked.

Chris smiled. “We were both going after the same papers. Craig was wounded and they needed someone to take care of him until they could get him back to England. I was dressed up as a nurse, so they thought I was one. They kidnapped me. They could have just dropped me off at the coast, but they brought me the rest of the way here.”

Kelly was thinking he might have to change his outlook on Craig’s men. He would have expected them to dump Craig and run. Or at the very least, dump Chris or do something horrible to her. And Terry seemed perfectly happy to stay in the house with them all.

Chris frowned. “Are you going home now?”

“Hell no!” said Kelly adamantly.

Chris glanced at Craig who was standing there, arms crossed, and an unhappy look on his face. She flashed a worried glance at him and went back to hugging the youngest member of their family.

The door opened again, and Terry came in, laden like a pack animal and juggling packages. Chief was on his feet immediately and walked over to take some of the packages. She gave him the ones for the kitchen and set the rest on the stairs. While the Indian put the purchases away in the kitchen, Terry moved up beside her older brother.

“Get the call?” she whispered.

“Yup.”  
Terry could tell by his tone and answer, besides his stance, what the outcome of that conversation was. “He ought to know by now, we’re his kids,” she said in a low voice.

“I’m supposed to talk him out of it.” Craig nodded toward Kelly.

“Give it up, Craig. If you weren’t so straight-laced army, you’d be right there with us.”

Garrison wondered just how straight-laced army he would still be by the end of this war, considering what he was doing and with whom he was doing it.


	4. Chapter 4

Craig was still trying to talk some sense into Kelly. It was getting a little volatile at times. Normally the one to calmly referee bouts between her siblings, Christine decided to stay out of it. Part of her wanted Kelly back at the ranch, safe, and the other part of her understood his point of view in staying. Terry had also backed out of the argument and disappeared into the backyard. Actor had gone to his room. Casino and Goniff were having one of their little arguments. Chief had disappeared also. Finally, Chris decided she needed some peace and quiet. She was not familiar with the grounds, but how lost could she get on the estate? At least it was almost warm enough for a stroll.

Chief was sitting on his heels beside a tree, hidden in some bushes, watching the stream flow past him down to the pond. This was his favorite time of the day. The sun was just going down and the wildlife was starting to stir. It was quiet and peaceful. It was a time to get away from the confines of the mansion and the noisy group of men he lived with. The tension in the house with the issues the Garrisons were dealing with was getting to him too.

As he waited, he heard someone moving down the path closer and closer. He shrank back into the undergrowth and watched to see who had followed him. It was the younger sister. She seemed to be wandering, not searching. She stopped in front of him, looking at the pond. It was almost time. They wouldn’t come if she was there. He rattled a bit of the bush. Startled, Christine turned around. She saw him, eyes widening. She didn’t scream or make a noise. She just stared, poised to run, like the wild ones who came to drink from the pond. He motioned for her to come to him. She relaxed a tiny bit and moved into the brush to kneel beside him.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know you were here.”

The Indian raised a finger to his lips indicating to her to be silent. He pointed toward the water. Chris followed his gaze and watched. Chief was very aware of her closeness to him. He remained still. A few minutes later, a doe arrived. She looked around before dropping her head to drink. After a moment, she looked back. The second doe stepped out and paused to drink beside the first one. Chief felt delicate fingers touch his forearm. His eyes glanced down. The girl’s hand was resting on his arm. She was watching the scene with a soft smile. They stayed that way until the two does disappeared silently into the brush.

Chris smiled wider now, freezing when she became aware of the tenseness beneath her fingers. She remembered Terry had said the young Indian hated to be touched. “Sorry,” she whispered, withdrawing her hand. “Do they come here every day at this time?”

“’S’all right,” said Chief, strangely sorry the fingers had left. “Yeah. Sometimes the buck comes too.” He thought a moment. “Guess this is old hat to you, livin’ in the mountains an’ all.”

“Oh, they’re still beautiful. It reminded me of home,” said Chris with a smile. “Thank you for letting me stay.”

She looked at Chief. He nodded and rose to his feet. After a split second of hesitation, his hand reached down to her. She placed her fingers in his and allowed him to help her up.

“I wasn’t trying to follow you,” she said hesitantly.

“I know.” At her questioning look, he grinned. “You were too noisy.”

“I wasn’t trying not to be,’ she said defensively.

His grin widened.

She looked at him shyly. “You probably came out here to be alone. I can go back to the house.”

“You don’t have to,” said Chief. “Unless you’re afraid to be out here with me.”

Chris picked up on the defensive challenge in his voice. “Do I need to be afraid?”

“No.”

“Then I’m not afraid.”

He had not released her fingers, so she turned her hand and entwined hers with his. Curious, she watched to see what his reaction would be. He stared back at her with unreadable dark eyes. Slowly, his fingers curled up over her hand. She smiled.

“Guess we should get back before dark,” said Chief.

Chris nodded. She walked alongside of him as he led the way back up the path towards the house. She was acutely aware of his coiled, restrained strength. He was aware of her softness and gentleness.

“Why are you called ‘Chief’,” she asked. “If you don’t mind my asking?”

“Always been called that,” he replied.

“You must have a name,” she prompted. “I mean Chief shows strength, but it can also be almost an insult. Kind of like calling you Injun.”

“Naw, that’s Casino does that.”

“What does your family call you?” asked Chris.

“Don’t have any family.” It was said with a careful tone of not caring. He glanced at the girl to see what her response was to that. 

“I’m sorry,” she said sincerely. She continued to look at him expectantly.   
“It’s Rainey,” he said.

He was rewarded with a smile. “That’s a nice name,” said Chris. “Can I call you that, if we’re not with the others?”

He shrugged, “If you want.” He did not want to seem eager. 

They walked the rest of the way back to the house in silence but did not release each other’s hand until they reached the steps. Chris paused at the bottom of the steps and waited for Chief to stop and turn back to her.

“Thank you for letting me watch the deer with you, Rainey,” she said quietly.

“Sure,” he answered, still a bit self-conscious.

They walked up the steps, not touching. As Chief started to open the door, they heard Terry’s loud, exasperated voice.

“Will you two knock it off?”

Chief and Chris grinned at each other.

“Casino and Goniff,” said Chris in a whispered guess.

Chief opened the door and they stepped in to face Kelly and Garrison staring, stunned, at their sister who was glaring, hands on hips.

“What have you been doing? Learning from Casino?” Terry asked her older brother. She eyed both brothers narrowly. “Kelly’s not going to go back to the States. Craig, you have made your point you are trying to persuade him to go home. Mexican stand-off . . . again. So why don’t you two just quit and let this place get back to its normal peace and quiet?”

There was a moment of silence followed by a crash from upstairs. Chris could not stifle a giggle. They all looked up as they heard Actor’s voice raised in anger, words unintelligible. A door slammed upstairs. Angry Italian words were punctuated by heavy feet on the stairs as the irate con man stormed down. He ignored the five people staring at him, all aware of the red mark on his right cheekbone, as he moved around Terry and disappeared into the dining room. A second later, they heard the backdoor bang shut.

Craig looked around, eyes settling on Chief. The Indian shook his head. “Not me this time, Warden.”

Garrison started forward. Terry held a hand up. “Oh, no, Brother! This one’s mine.”

Her boots beat a staccato up the stairs. She pushed into the common room and stood glaring between the two miscreants. “Okay, who hit Actor?”

“It was the Limey,” said Casino quickly.

Terry’s glare settled on the Englishman. Goniff shrugged. “It were an accident,” he whined. “Besides, ‘e should’ve ducked.”

Terry shook her head. “Clean this place up and then get downstairs. I’m putting dinner on the table.”

Twenty minutes later, Terry sat down in her seat and looked around the quiet table. Everyone was on their best behavior. Except for one thing. There was an empty chair beside her at Actor’s place. Shaking her head, Terry got up and went into the kitchen. She stepped into the mudroom and pushed the outer door open to peer into the inky blackness.

“Actor!” she hollered. “Dinner!” She started back but paused and looked back out. “And I’m not reheating it!”

She went back to the dining room and took her seat. She glanced around at stifled smiles. Nobody yelled at the Italian like that and it had lightened the mood at the table. Actor’s place remained vacant for several minutes before the con man moved with dignity into the room and took his seat. Terry picked up the man’s empty bowl and passed it to her sister. Chris filled it with stew and passed it back. Terry placed in front of the man.

“Marmocchia,” muttered Actor.

“Takes one to know one,” replied Terry calmly taking a bite of her stew.

Chris grinned. “Almost like home.”

“Not quite,” said Kelly from across the table. He reached into the breadbasket. “Hey, Actor.”

The con man looked up as a roll was flung at him. He deftly caught it and looked at Kelly in askance.

“Now it’s like home,” said Terry, not looking up.

The Italian looked to the other end of the table at his commanding officer in non-comprehension at the goings on. Craig looked at the older man, raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

The next morning, Kelly was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

It was quiet in the mansion. Empty and quiet. Kelly had gone back to London. Christine had followed him, calling to assure her sister the Brat was okay. Garrison and the cons were over on the Continent. Ah, blessed peace. It was almost too quiet.

Terry moved around the common room, straightening things and emptying ashtrays. She smoothed the antimacassar and arm covers on Actor’s chair before straightening the books on the side table. There was a wide range of subject matter. One was a book on military tactics of World War I, one a book of prose, and the last was Robinson Crusoe. She chuckled at the last two. Moving on, she pulled a dust rag from her back pocket and cleaned the mantel over the fireplace. Finished there, she tucked the rag back into her pocket.

She looked down at her comfortable pants. Leave it to Kelly to embarrass the hell out of her for wearing a skirt. The men and Craig had been good about not commenting on her gradual change to wearing skirts, at least not within her hearing. It made her wonder if Actor had not encouraged the cons to keep their mouths shut. 

She had cleaned around the other large chair by the window and was working on the game table when the telephone rang. She eyed it warily as she walked over to the one by the stairs. Phone calls in this house had a tendency to worry her, but the guys hadn’t been gone long enough for anyone to notify her they were in trouble. She picked up the phone and, with delight, heard her middle brother’s voice.

“Hey, Terry, is the Brat still there?” asked Monty.

“No, he disappeared a couple days ago,” said Terry. 

“Damn,” said Monty in frustration. “I managed to wrangle a 72 hour pass this weekend to see him.”

“So? Take it anyway,” suggested Terry. “Stop in London on Friday to see Chris. Kelly’s back with her. Craig and the guys are gone and should be back sometime Friday night or real early Saturday morning. Come down on Saturday and stay with us.”

“Okay,” said Monty. “I haven’t seen you or Craig in a long time. I’ll see you Saturday.”

“Well, call me and I’ll pick you up at the train station in Brandonshire,” said Terry.

GGGGG

It was later in the morning on Saturday when Terry received the call to pick up Monty in Brandonshire. The men had returned about 3 a.m. and were still asleep. She had not told Craig their brother was coming. It would be a good surprise. She set food out on the dining room table, covered, for the guys when they got up. They would probably be up before she returned with Monty. Satisfied, she stopped at the coat tree for her jacket, her hand pausing as she eyed the worn leather bomber jacket hanging beside it. A smile came to her face. She loved leather. Still, she hesitated. Ah, heck, Casino wouldn’t miss it for the short time she would be gone. She grabbed it and threw it on. The sleeves were too long, and it hung on her, but it was roomy and probably warm. She took a long deep breath. It smelled of old leather, tobacco, whatever the aftershave was the man wore at times, and Casino. All in all, not a bad combination. With a spring to her step, she picked up her purse and the keys to the Packard and bounded down the steps.

GGGGG

Monty leaned against a pillar in the waiting room of the train station. He had been sitting since London and the wooden benches in the station did not look comfortable. It was good to get off the base for a few days and be himself. Reflecting back, he liked his job as a bombardier on the B-17 Flying Fortresses. He liked the Army Air Force. He could have gone to the Point. Will Garrison was more than willing to foot the bill for his adopted son, but the Point was Craig’s thing. Monty did not have the personality to be an officer, nor did he wish to develop one. When this war was over, if he survived it, he was going back to the ranch and back to being a cowboy. Give him a horse and those beautiful rugged mountains and he was happy. It made him wonder about the rest of the clan.

Kelly had been a surprise when he had seen the boy in London, with not only the physical changes, but the attitude changes. The Brat was taller than him. Gone was the little tow-headed kid who liked nothing better than to play practical jokes on all of them. Oh, the sense of humor was still there, but there was also a somberness that apparently stemmed from having seen too much, too young, of the atrocities to the European people by that insane Nazi leader. Kelly had a cause and he wasn’t about to give it up.   
Christine had been her gentle happy self. But there was steel underneath that softness that hadn’t been there before. Maybe he just hadn’t seen it. She had been protected by Nick Bradford when she lived in New York with him, but she had allowed Craig and their father to tear her away from her boyfriend, lover, whatever he had been, and send her back to the ranch. Now she was in London, sharing a flat with two men from Nick’s gang in what she insisted was a purely non-romantic relationship. She and Kelly had broken ties with the OSS and were working independently with Dirk and Tinker for the Maquis and other bands of resistance. Nick had been killed while working for the OSS. She said her motive for coming to England had been revenge for Nicky’s death, but that had changed to a need to help the poor people she had come in contact with on the Continent. That was Crystal, as they sometimes called her, – a helper.

That brought his mind to his other sister. Terry had shocked him. It wasn’t that she had come over here to do her part in the war. After the battle in New York, tearing her away from Jake Bradford, she had said she could no longer stand the idea of being confined to the ranch. Nobody confined Terry. She would disappear in the middle of the night, maybe coming back in a couple days and one time it had been three months before she returned. Even he couldn’t track her. She had been fifteen at the time. She had never said where exactly she had gone or why, but she had lived off the land with just her horses and one of the ranch collies for company. 

That girl in no way resembled the elegant woman he had met in a ballroom in London. Granted she had spent three winters in her pre- and early teens in Italy with their aunt, as had Craig. The older brother had confided they had learned things they had no business knowing about, which was why they had petitioned their father to not allow Chris to follow in their footsteps. Still, Terry had come back to the ranch from Europe and had no problem returning to her tomboy existence. The change had to be that old man she had been with in London. Monty had mentioned to Chris seeing Terry exchanging kisses with the Italian. Chris wasn’t shocked. Kelly had reported seeing them do it at the mansion too. So why wasn’t Craig putting a stop to it like he had with Jake? Why was he letting that Italian change their sister so much?

Craig. West Point had done its duty with their older brother. He was an officer, granted a lowly one, and he had that officer bearing. Will Garrison had gotten what he wanted, a copy of himself to carry on the Garrison men’s family tradition of an Army lifer. Monty bet it irked their father when time and again Craig turned down promotion. He wanted to stay with his men, a bunch of convicts. Chris said he worked closely with the Italian, fine tuning the education he had received from Zia and her side of the family.

GGGGG

Terry paused inside the doorway to the train station. Most of the human traffic had cleared out since the arrival of the last train. It was easy to spot the Army Air Force soldier leaning against one of the pillars, seemingly lost in thought. She smiled. She was not yet accustomed to seeing her middle brother pressed and polished with short black hair topping a face with a perpetual tan. She was far more used to blue jeans, a faded chambray shirt open at the neck to show the beaded talisman. Monty’s hair had been long, sometimes in braids on both sides of his head. An old wool hat with an eagle feather protected him from the sun.

“Oki!” she called out the Blackfoot greeting.

Monty’s head flew up with a wide grin. “Oki back at you, Sis.” He returned the greeting.

They met halfway and embraced in a warm hug. Monty pushed her back and frowned at her attire, definitely not the elegant gown she had been wearing when he had seen her last.

“What are you wearing?” he asked in amusement.

She waved her hand in dismissal. “I borrowed the jacket.”

“I can tell,” Monty laughed. At least she was in pants again.

Terry grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the door. “Come on, Brother. Craig ought to be up by now. I didn’t tell him you were coming. Thought I’d surprise him.”

“Kelly wasn’t enough of a surprise?”

“It’s good to keep him guessing,” shrugged Terry.

Monty was a little puzzled when Terry turned up a long dirt drive alongside a white fenced pasture. Then he saw the Mediterranean three-story villa and stared.

“That’s the Mansion?” he asked in disbelief.

“That’s the Mansion.”

Monty stared. “I’ve heard you and Craig call it that. I thought you were being sarcastic. It is a mansion!”

Terry laughed, “You haven’t seen the inside yet. It’s part mausoleum and part museum. The family that owns it went to safer territory for the duration and contracted with the army to let it out as a barracks of sorts.” 

GGGGG

Terry was the first in the door. Casino was waiting for her. He was sitting at the game table, arm over the back of his chair and a glare on his face.

“Hey, Lady, that’s my jacket!” he bellered.

“Yes, it is,” smiled Terry. “Thank you for letting me use it.”

“Garrison!” blasted the safecracker. He froze, warily watching the Army Air Force soldier who had entered the house behind the girl.

All of the men were silent and watching the newcomer when Craig came out of his office with the intent of reading the riot act to Casino.

“Which Garrison?” asked a familiar voice.

Craig turned his head to see his brother grinning at him. Anger instantly forgotten the Lieutenant strode across the room to meet his adopted brother for a mutual back pounding greeting. “What are you doing here?”

Monty shrugged and tossed his hat onto the newel post at the base of the stairs. “I got a leave. And that one,” he gestured toward Terry, “decided to surprise you.”

Craig looked at his sister who was removing the jacket and hanging it back up. He frowned. “That’s Casino’s jacket.”

“I know!” said Terry in exasperation. “You’d think I robbed the Bank of England for cryin’ out loud.”

Before Craig could answer, the phone rang. Everyone froze. Terry turned cautious eyes to her brother. “They wouldn’t . . .?”

“No,” replied Garrison. “They assured me we’re good for 48 hours.” He went into his office and closed the door to answer the phone. He was back in a minute with a sour look on his face. “That was Kit. Wanted to know if you were working tonight. I told her no and hung up.”

Terry grinned. “Thanks, Craig.”

“Yeah.”

Terry started making the introductions. “This is our brother, Monty. This is Goniff and Casino.” They both nodded. Terry unsuccessfully tried to stifle a grin, “You’ve already met Actor.” The two men nodded to each other, both wary. Craig looked puzzled.  
“And this is Chief.”

Monty walked up to the younger man who had risen from his perch on the window ledge. 

“Ya-ta-hay,” said Monty.

“Ya-ta-hay,” replied Chief.

“Lakota,” Monty offered.

“Chiricahua,” answered Chief.

“You two can talk to each other,” asked Goniff brightly.

“Yeah,” replied Monty with a grin. “In English.” He turned back to Chief. “Nice to meet you. Brother.”

Chief nodded.

“Great,” said Casino derisively. “Now we got us two dumb Injuns.”

Craig never moved. Terry got a small smile on her face. Chief was tense and itching to fight.

Monty turned to face the safecracker. “Yeah, you gotta be Casino.” He looked steadily at the man. “If we’re ‘dumb Injuns’, does that make you a ‘dumb Wop’?” He turned quickly to Actor. “No offense meant to you, Sir,”

Actor nodded, a sparkle in the hazel eyes. This could get interesting.

“I ain’t no Wop,” said Casino angrily. “I’m third generation American.”

Monty grinned, “Well, I’m at least tenth generation American. I think that’s got you beat.”

Goniff burst out laughing, cutting it off quickly at a glare from Casino. Casino started forward with closed fists.

“Take it outside, Boys!” ordered Terry.

Craig remained relaxed. “But I wouldn’t if I were you, Casino. I know my brother. It’s won’t be like fighting Chief. Monty won’t pull his punches. I know firsthand how well he fights. He’ll have you on your backside in a heartbeat.”

Casino looked back and forth between Monty and Garrison. “Aw, hell,” he said. “I’d just get thrown in the stockade for hittin’ a Garrison.” He stomped off into the kitchen and out the back door.

Terry licked the tips of two fingers and made a downward slice through the air, pointing to Monty. “That had to be worth at least two points.” This brought grins and laughs from the rest of the occupants of the room.

Monty walked back to the front door to retrieve his bag. “So where do I get to go and change outta this prissy suit?” 

Craig laughed. “Upstairs and . . .”

“I’ll show you,” said a quiet drawl.

They all looked at Chief in carefully hidden amazement. The usually reticent young Indian strolled over to Monty and nodded with his head up the stairs.

“Thanks,” said Mon. “So, Arizona or New Mexico?”

“Both, border land.” The two started up the stairs. “Western Montana?”

“Yeah, well, South Dakota originally.”

There was silence in the common room until the two had disappeared.

“Uh, Lieutenant, ‘e don’t look like you,” broached Goniff.

“Gee, Goniff, I really hadn’t noticed,” said Craig.

“Aw, Warden . . .”

Terry was chuckling and Actor was grinning before Craig answered. “We adopted him when he was what . . . fourteen,” he looked for confirmation from his sister.

Terry nodded. “We started out fostering him. Ma had read something where they were wanting families to take in orphaned Indian children for a summer. Like we didn’t have Indians around with the ranch being half on the Blackfoot reservation. She wanted to do it. So, we were given Montgomery Gray Fox.”

“He was a handful,” chuckled Craig, picking up the story. “By the end of the summer, we decided to keep him. It wasn’t as much trouble as we thought it might be seeing as we’re white. We lived on a reservation, still do. We kids all spoke Blackfoot. Dad was a respectable Army colonel at that time. We could afford him. So, we got him.”

“So, you speak the lingo?” asked Goniff.

“Ma doesn’t,” replied Terry. “All of us kids speak Lakota and Blackfoot. And Dad took lessons in Lakota from somebody.”

Craig headed back to his office. He motioned with his head for Terry to follow. She shut the door behind them.

“What, Brother?” she asked, plopping in the chair in front of his desk.

“Okay, Terry,” said Craig. “How, where and when did Monty meet Actor?”

Terry grinned at the memory. “It was that time Chris and I went to London with Actor. We were at a night club. Monty asked me to dance. They almost came to blows.”

Garrison shook his head. “Actor will get physical, but he usually has to be provoked or bored. I can’t see Monty provoking him.”

“It was a misunderstanding,” explained Terry. “They hadn’t been introduced. Actor thought Monty was being rude to me. He almost belted Mon.”

“He’s getting a little protective, isn’t he?” asked Craig dubiously.

“They all are,” said Terry offhandedly. “I am your sister you know.”

“You mollycoddle them,” Craig said with disapproval.

“Why not? Maybe they need it.” She shrugged, “Besides, wouldn’t you rather they were protective of me than giving me trouble?”

“I suppose,” acceded Craig.

“I mollycoddle you too,” said Terry innocently. “But if you don’t like it, I suppose I could quit starting a fire in your fireplace and turning down your blankets before you come home from a mission. And I don’t have to put your back in when it’s out. And I could make fewer sandwiches . . .”

“All right! I get your point, Sis.” Garrison glared at her grinning face. “Say,” he asked, “I hear you’ve been giving backrubs to my men?”

“Why not?” responded Terry. “They come back just as knotted up as you do. It doesn’t hurt anything. With Casino it’s shoulders and low back. Chiefy gets it in the shoulders, but he’s too embarrassed most times to ask. And Goniff is so flexible I think he just gets one because he likes it.”

“I’ve never seen you work on Actor,” remarked Craig.

Terry gave a short chuckle. “I think it’s beneath his dignity. And you know he’ll never ask. I did him once. He knots up real bad between the shoulder blades. I think he appreciated it, but he just doesn’t know how to accept anything from anybody or ask.”

“He’s got an interesting background,” said Craig.

“Which one?” asked Terry wryly. “Do you even know his real name?”

“Probably not,” replied Garrison with a grin. “Do you?”

“No,” replied Terry. “But I’d bet the farm it ain’t ‘Victor.’ He doesn’t look like a Victor.” She got up. “That all you wanted to know?”

“I guess so,” replied Craig.

Terry got up and left the office. She went into the kitchen to see what she could make for dinner to feed the bunch. Monty always had a good appetite and the guys were usually hungry after a mission. Living mostly on bread and cheese while they were on the Continent didn’t cut it. In the icebox was a fair amount of leftover roast beef. She still refused to tell Craig who her supplier was. There were some things her strait-laced brother did not need to know.

Straightening and shutting the icebox door, Terry glanced through the mudroom and out the window of the back door. Casino was wandering around the back garden, hands in pockets, head bent. It was darn cold out there and the man was in shirtsleeves. Shaking her head, she let herself outside.

“Hey, are you trying to catch pneumonia?” she called to the safecracker.

He shot a dirty look at her. Terry stepped in front of him and halted, facing him, practically nose-to-nose.

“So, who are you still mad at? Me or Monty?”

“Both uh yuh,” came the sullen reply.

Terry shook her head, eyes sparkling in amusement. “Well, if you’re going to dish it out, especially to a Garrison, then you better be prepared to get it back.”

Casino harrumphed. Terry laughed. She reached out and ran hands up his bare lower arms. They were like ice.

“Come on, get in the house. You can be just as mad in there as out here and it’s warmer. I’ll throw a pot of coffee on.” 

Boldly, she linked her elbow through his and tugged on him go back inside. Refusing to smile at her, Casino did allow her to pull him along.

“All you Garrisons crazy?” he asked.

“Oh, you haven’t met Cinder yet,” said Terry. “And I doubt you ever will, which would probably be a good thing.” Her older sister was just as prickly and opinionated at Casino. Terry figured, given a confrontation, her sister would chew up the safecracker and spit him out. Not that she was about to tell him that.

Back inside, Terry remained in the kitchen, putting another pot of coffee on. She got vegetables out and started prepping for dinner. Casino went back into the common room. Monty and Chief had returned and Goniff was cheerfully filling the middle Garrison brother in on all of the cons’ specialties.

Monty sat in the big chair by the window and listened in amazement. The cons were quite a bunch, from every walk of the criminal world, and his brother had picked them out. The personalities varied; quiet, mouthy, lower class and upper class. Chief reminded Monty of himself at an earlier time, chip on the shoulder, but more dangerous. Casino needed to have his lights punched out. Monty couldn’t help but like Goniff, despite the man’s constant nervous chatter. Monty was reserving final judgment on Actor. Aristocratic, haughty, arrogant and superior, the man just wasn’t Terry’s type, even though Craig said he thought she was sleeping with the confidence man. 

Craig did not venture from his office other than to get a cup of coffee. So much for visiting with his brother, thought Monty. Terry was busy with domestic chores, which was something their mother had been hard pressed to get her to do at home, other than cook. That left Monty to spend the afternoon with the cons. He found he was actually enjoying it.

Terry put dinner on the table about six o’clock. There were two big shepherd’s pies. Monty dove in with gusto, as did the rest of the occupants of the table. Well, maybe not Actor. The man seemed to be treating it like fine cuisine in an exclusive restaurant.

“This beats rations all to heck,” said Monty. “How do you get this kind of good food?”

Craig shook his head. “Sister has become very well acquainted with the black market, thanks to somebody’s influence. 

Monty watched Craig exchange a mock sour look with the con man. The Italian in turn returned a smug, superior smile. Monty turned his head to look at Terry. She was studiously ignoring the two men, but there was a wicked little smile on her face.

A few minutes later, Terry casually said, “I think we should take Monty to the Doves tonight.”

“Hey!” Casino was now all for it. “He can’t visit without a trip to the Doves.”

“’Ow about it, Warden?” asked Goniff, eagerly. “You want to come with us?”

“No,” replied Garrison. “I have too much paperwork to do, but you can go.”

“Oh, come on, Craig,” objected Terry. “It’s not going to kill you to come along just this once.”

“I am backed up with paperwork. It’s part of what I’m here to do,” replied Garrison

Terry shrugged, “So Actor and I will help you with it tomorrow.”

The con man’s eyebrows went up. “Thank you for volunteering my time, cara,” he said.

“Really, caro, it’ll give you something to do,” replied Terry, grinning at him.

“I have more than enough activities planned for tomorrow, thank you.”

“What?” teased Terry, “sit, smoke and read? You can do that and read intelligence.”

“He’s got clearance?” asked Monty in confusion.

“No,” was Craig’s unconcerned reply. “He’s just good at it.”

“Yeah, well, ‘e’s bloomin’ good at everything, ain’t ‘e now,” said Goniff in disgust. “We goin’ out the window or the door?”

“Door,” said Terry. “Monty has to wear his uniform. It’s no good climbing down the trellis.”

Monty sent a puzzled look to Craig. 

The older brother shook his head, “Don’t ask.” The lieutenant looked at his notorious men. “Try not to get in a fight tonight, Guys.”

“Aw, Warden,” said Casino with an insincere smile, “Would we get into a fight with your brother along?”

“Why not?” answered Craig. “You do when you have my sister along.”

“That’s only because I’m wheelman,” said Terry innocently.

“On the Continent, not in England,” said Craig shortly.

The young woman ignored him. She glanced around the table at the empty plates. “Okay, somebody help me with the dishes. The sooner they’re done the sooner we can get out of here. I have a good feeling I’m going to beat Chief at darts tonight.”

“No, you won’t,” said the Indian quietly with a small smile.


	6. Chapter 6

Terry stood at the bar talking to Robbie while he poured a pitcher from the tap. There was a group of four obnoxious American Army soldiers at a nearby table. They were loud and making rude remarks to the barmaid. The local regulars were eying them with disgust.

“Who are they?” Terry asked. “They’re giving us Yanks a bad name. My four can do that without their help.”

“Your four aren’t that bloody obnoxious,” said Robbie in disgust. “Must be on leave from somewhere. Don’t know why they ‘ad to pick this place to light.”

“You know there’s going to be a fight,” warned Terry.

“Yeah, I know,” said Robbie wearily. He got a devilish grin. “I ‘ope your blokes clean ‘em up.”

Terry went back to the table her group was seated at. The cons were disgustingly polite and well-mannered compared to that other bunch. She set the pitcher in the middle of the table. Actor started pouring for all of them. Terry took her seat between the Italian and her brother. 

With an initial wrinkle of her nose at the first sip, she took a swallow of the warm ale. Monty turned to give her a quizzical look.

“I can’t believe you’re drinking that stuff,” said Terry’s middle brother. “You don’t even drink that much.” 

“After the first couple swallows it grows on you,” said Terry. “You can bet when I get back to the States, I’m going to find me a nice icy cold Bud.”

Monty got a mischievous grin on his face before turning to the others at the table. “You guys do know not to feed her champagne?”

Terry choked, “Monty! Shut up!”

Actor caught the young man’s eye and they exchanged a conspiratorial look. “Yes. I have been suitably advised by the Lieutenant of the consequences.”

Terry’s head shot around and she stared wide-eyed at the con man. “He didn’t.”

Actor smiled and nodded. “Oh, yes, he did . . . in great detail.” The Italian was enjoying the distress on the young woman’s face. If she was going to keep teasing him, she was going to get it back.

“So, what are the – uh- consequences?” asked Casino.

“I am told she becomes very . . . Ouch!” Actor bent sideways and grabbed his shin where Teresa had kicked it with her booted heel. “Cara! Behave! I need to walk on that leg.”

“You’re lucky that’s all I could reach,” she hissed at him.

This brought loud laughter from the others. Terry looked around, trying to find some way to change the subject. The dart board was empty. “Come on, Chiefy. I’m going to beat you at darts.”

“You’re gonna try,” the younger man said smugly.

Terry got up and walked to the dart board, studiously ignoring the rest of the guys who were still laughing at her. Chief grinned and shook his head, getting up to follow her.

“I think she’s gonna beat ‘im this time,” said Goniff, pulling a ten-pound note from his pocket and pushing it toward Actor.

“Naw,” denied Casino. “She ain’t good enough yet.” He pulled his own ten-pound note out and pushed it to the con man.

Monty watched this interaction with interest. He pulled money from his pocket and handed it to the Italian. “My money’s on Chief. Terry doesn’t know how to play darts.”

Actor added his share to the pile. “I am betting on Teresa. She has been practicing and she and Chief are pretty evenly matched now.”

The four men sat back to watch the game. Each round was close with either Chief winning or Terry winning. 

In the middle of the game, Monty leaned over toward Actor. The con man bent closer to hear what the young man had to say.

“Did Craig really tell you about Terry and . . .”

“Oh, yes,” assured Actor with a crooked grin. “I will buy her wine and ale, but not champagne.”

Monty shook his head, “She can’t handle the light stuff too well, but don’t ever get in a pissing contest with her and a bottle of Jack Daniels. Guaranteed she will drink you under the table.”

“I doubt that,” replied the Italian smugly, “but it might be interesting.”

They both chuckled. Monty was beginning to like the Italian con man. Maybe he could see his sister liking the guy. He doubted Terry could walk all over the man, even if she did try. That in itself would intrigue the girl.

The dart game ended with Chief winning on the last throw. He and Terry returned to the table. The bet money had been distributed by the time they were seated.

Terry turned to her brother. “Sorry I lost you some money, Brother.”

“You didn’t,” replied Monty.

Terry looked at him sharply. “You bet on Chief?” At his nod, she said indignantly, “Well, that’s loyalty for you.”

“Loyalty ain’t got nothing to do with it,” said Monty, pocketing his winnings. “It’s strictly business.”

The ale was being imbibed freely by most of the occupants at the table. Actor was always careful with his drinking and Terry was nursing her second glass of ale. Monty got up and went to the bar, returning with the third pitcher. This one emptied rapidly also. Monty was getting looser, Goniff was happily in his cups, and Casino, while less belligerent than usual was on his way to feeling no pain.

As they all sat back to enjoy their ale, the atmosphere in the bar became strained. The noisy group of Army soldiers was harassing the barmaid. One of them grabbed her and tried to feel her up. Terry was in direct view of it.

“Hey, Betty, we need you over here,” yelled Terry.

“Aw, shut your pie hole, Bitch,” yelled one of the men back at her.

“Only a select few people can call me that,” muttered Terry.

Monty and the other men started to get up.

“No!” ordered Terry. “We will not start this.”

Reluctantly the men sat back down.

“Aw, too chicken to defend the slut?” yelled another of the soldiers.

Terry’s mouth pinched together. Her hand shot out across the table, palm up in front of her brother. Monty slapped his hat in her hand and rose from the table. Goniff, Chief and Casino rose with him.

“That’s my sister you called a slut,” said Monty slow and low.

The other soldiers looked at him. “Figures. A damn Indian. She must be a squaw.”

Chief got in there beside Monty, both pummeling the loudmouth and the one next to him. Casino and Goniff were on their heels. Actor rose sedately from his seat, picked up his pipe, and took Terry by the elbow, leading her away from the melee. They stood against the wall watching the fight turn into another free-for-all, with the locals getting involved. Some of the regulars were having a go at the Army soldiers, but as what usually happened, they soon started fight with each other. Tables overturned and chairs broke. Actor leaned back against the wall, legs crossed, an arm around Terry’s shoulders, smoking his pipe.

“Staying out of this one?” asked Terry with amusement.

“They do not require my assistance this time,” replied the con man casually.

As the fight continued, Monty was edged over close to them. The man he was hitting went to the floor. Monty walked up and looked at Terry with his hands on his hips. “What are you doing over here?”

Actor quickly removed his arm from around Teresa. He raised his eyebrows and cocked his head to the side. Monty got the message and lunged to his left as Actor’s arm swung forward and his fist connected with the chin of a man who was about to brain the Indian with an ale bottle. The man went down like a load of bricks. Monty looked down at the man and up at the Italian who was placing his arm back around Terry.

“Thanks,” said Monty with a nod of approval.

“My pleasure,” replied Actor. “You were saying?”

“How come you’re over here?” Monty asked his sister again.

“He’s keeping me safely out of harm’s way,” replied Terry. “It’s part of that sophisticated and worldly thing I told you about. Besides, he’s a gentleman.”

“Doesn’t know you very well does he?” grinned Monty.

Terry felt Actor stiffen. “Mon, you better get back in there before Actor pops you one.”

Monty started backing up. He grinned at the tall Italian. “Just so you know, she’s taken Craig down a couple of times.”

“Mon-ty,” said Terry warningly.

He turned and jumped back into the fight, pulling a man off of Casino. Terry leaned her head back against Actor’s arm and looked up at him.

“You don’t have to be so quick to take offense at Monty,” she said. “This is the way we are at home. Cinder, Craig, Mon and I were constantly throwing zingers at each other. It’s all in good fun.”

Actor frowned, “It is not very respectful to you.”

“No, but we’re family and we all love each other,” explained Terry. She reached around and patted the con man on the chest. “And I thank you for wanting to defend my honor. I appreciate that,” she said sincerely.

Actor shook his head. He did not understand how family could treat each other this way and like it. But then, he had not had family of his own for a long time. The Garrisons appeared to be a free and easy group. Maybe he had missed out on something somewhere along the line.

They went back to watching the fight. Robbie seemed to be in no hurry to call the constabulary. The bartender was sitting on the bar watching in enjoyment. Terry kept an eye on Monty. The young man grabbed another man by the hair with the intent of picking his head up for a hit. The man’s toupee came off in Monty’s hand. He let out a war whoop and held the false scalp high in the air, eliciting a big grin from Chief, who was fighting a few feet away from him.

“Damn! I didn’t know I could count coup in England!” He tossed it to Terry. “Here Sis, hold on to it for me!”

Terry caught it one-handed and burst into laughter. She hadn’t had this much fun at a fight since the last barn dance they had all attended in Springfield. Tears were coming to her eyes. She turned her forehead into Actor’s chest and shook with laughter.  
The Italian did not understand what was going on or what was so funny about a toupee. He said as much. 

Terry looked up at him with affection, “No, caro, I don’t imagine you do. We’ll have to explain it to you later.”

They watched for a few more minutes. An older couple entered the bar and paused at the top of the stairs. They took one look and hurried back outside. Robbie was looking up at the landing in front of the door with an unhappy expression. He ducked as a bottle flew past his head. Terry bent an arm back and tapped Actor with the backs of two knuckles.

“You might want to start pulling our guys out of there,” she suggested. “Robbie’s not going to wait much longer to call the constabulary. I’ll get the car.”

“That would be wise,” agreed Actor.

Terry went to the bar and dropped off the toupee. The bar tender agreed to let her get her ‘blokes’ out of there before notifying the authorities. She thanked him, settled their tab and went out into the cold night air. She placed Monty’s cap on her head at a jaunty angle and ran to the car. She had the Packard at the door, warming up, when Monty and Chief came out. Monty got in the front and Chief in the back. Actor finally herded Casino and Goniff out. The two miscreants climbed in the back with Chief while Actor got in front beside Monty. Terry pulled out as the fight spilled into the parking lot.

“Hey,” said Monty. “I ought to come here on leave more often. That was fun.”

Terry chortled, slapping his cap back on his head, almost covering his eyes. “I wouldn’t be telling Craig that if I were you.”

“No,” agreed her brother. Monty tipped his head back to see out from under the cap and turned to his sister. “He is getting kind of stuffy, isn’t he?”

The corner of Actor’s mouth quirked up into a grin. He turned his head to look out the side window and listened to the response.

“Let’s just say,” said Terry carefully, “as long as this war is looking to last, we’re going to have a hard time beating the military out of that boy when this is over, if he doesn’t stay in for life.”

Casino, more than a little on the intoxicated side, reached across the back of the seat and poked Monty in the shoulder. “Hey, Indian, you’re all right, for a Garrison.”

“Thanks,” answered Monty, himself a little full of liquor. “You ain’t so bad yourself, for a Wop.” His head shot around quickly to toward the man beside him. 

Actor held a hand up and resignedly said, “No offense taken.”

Terry swallowed back a laugh but could not get the grin off her face. Returning to the Mansion, she parked the car and allowed the rowdy group to go ahead of her and Actor. The con man escorted her to the door where she observed Craig’s displeased face. The four who had been fighting were standing there, looking unrepentant at the Lieutenant.

“Hey, Craig,” said Terry trying to ward off his wrath. “Nobody’s in jail. And nobody got hurt . . . uh, too much.”

Casino was sporting a swollen lip and Goniff had a bruise blossoming on his left cheekbone. Monty’s hair was messed up, which only made him look more like the brother Terry and Craig both knew. Chief had come out with bruised knuckles only.

“Just couldn’t stay out of trouble, could you?” asked Craig, trying to maintain a stern countenance.

“Now Lieutenant,” said Actor in a soothing voice. “They were just defending your sister’s honor.”

“What did you do?” Craig pointedly asked his sister.

“I didn’t do anything,” objected Terry. “I was just trying to get a bunch of jerks to quit giving Betty a hard time.”

Craig looked around at the group. Actor was looking virtuous, Chief was his usual stoic self, Mutt and Jeff were drunk as skunks and leaning on each other with stupid grins, and Monty was drunk and grinning back at him. Terry was just grinning period. Garrison shook his head.

“Go sleep it off,” he ordered with a hint of humor. They were still like a bunch of overgrown kids.

The next morning, Actor and Chief were both up earlier than the others. Chief had just come back in from a run and Terry was in the kitchen making the first pot of coffee for the day. Actor took his usual seat and watched Chief perch on his window ledge.

“May I ask you something?” asked Actor quietly, starting to pack his briar with tobacco.

Chief turned to look at the older man. “Sure.”

I wonder if you might explain ‘counting coup’ to me?” the con man asked. He went on to explain the incident the previous night with Monty and the toupee.

Chief gave one of his rare wide grins. “You familiar with American history?”

“A bit,” replied the con man, taking a couple puffs to get the pipe started. “Enough to get my citizenship.”

Chief watched him. “You want the long version or the short one that explains Monty last night?”

Actor raised an eyebrow, “The short version, I believe, however, I may wish to reserve the complete lecture for another time.”

Chief grinned, “Well, back in the 1800’s the white man moved across the country takin’ the land away from the Indians and killin’ off all the buffalo we relied on for food and everything else. So, there was war between the tribes and the White Eyes. When a warrior killed an enemy, he would cut off the scalp and make a notch on his coup stick. The more scalps and notches the more respect as a warrior.”

“Ah,” replied Actor in understanding. It seemed to him to be a rather barbaric, uncivilized practice. “So, Monty getting the toupee counted as obtaining a scalp?”

“Yeah, somethin’ like that.” Chief kept a straight face. “It’s getting harder and harder to get away with counting coup nowadays.”

Actor looked at him for a second, puzzled and trying to decide if the young Indian was really serious. Chief’s mouth turned up into a satisfied grin. It wasn’t often somebody got one over on the Italian. Actor, realizing the other man was teasing, grinned back.  
Terry came out with two steaming cups of coffee. She noted the grins on both men. “You two look like you’re up to no good,” she remarked.

Actor accepted a cup of the hot liquid from her. “Chief was just giving me a lesson in American history.”

Terry looked back and forth between the two, handing the other cup to the Indian. Chief was teaching history to Actor, the walking encyclopedia? Right. She shook her head and started back to the kitchen to begin breakfast.

“Hey,” called out Chief. “You still owe me five bucks.”

Terry stopped and turned, favoring him with one raised eyebrow. “Get it out of my purse. One of these days I am going to beat you at darts, Little Brother.”

“Not in this lifetime, Little Sister,” he replied smugly.

“Oh, ye of little faith,” she smarted back at him. “Okay, how do you want your eggs this morning, Gentlemen?”


End file.
